Never done this before - seaweed help required

**Andy D** · 17-09-2012, 07:06 PM

Originally posted by VirginVegGrower View Post

Has anyone used seaweed as a top dress mulch/conditioner? I have a polytunnel book that suggests plonking it on the top of your soil and seeing as how we took some dried beach seaweed to put in the water butts, which has done a good job of making a stinky butt, I thought I could pull it out and use it as they say. Trouble is they don't say whether you chop it in, like a green manure or just leave it on top. Anybody have any experience of this...thanks in advance?! It's the polytunnel soil which has new beds and poor soil, which I want to beef up over Autumn/Winter.
Thanks...

Don't know how quickly it rots down, as kids mum always used to put it on the compost heap and them add the compost before winter.

If you're going to direct lay it I guess chopping it up whill help if rot and get absorbed quicker

Andy

**Kleftiwallah** · 17-09-2012, 07:07 PM

I would bury it as seaweed will tend to dry out and become brittle if left on the soil surface.

Cheers, Tony.

**VirginVegGrower** · 17-09-2012, 07:14 PM

Originally posted by Kleftiwallah View Post

I would bury it as seaweed will tend to dry out and become brittle if left on the soil surface.

Cheers, Tony.

Good point - didn't think of that!

**veggiechicken** · 17-09-2012, 07:17 PM

I'd bury it too as it might be whiffy and attract flies.

**northepaul** · 17-09-2012, 07:55 PM

I was thinking of doing this, so would be interested to hear how you get on

**Two_Sheds** · 17-09-2012, 08:00 PM

Originally posted by VirginVegGrower View Post

polytunnel soil which has ... poor soil, which I want to beef up over Autumn/Winter

I've been chopping up all weeds (non-seeding) and finished foliage straight onto my beds this year ~ it's improved the soil so quickly, it's brilliant. Much quicker than composting

You could also get some quick-growing green manures in: something like buckwheat or mustard

**VirginVegGrower** · 17-09-2012, 08:34 PM

Originally posted by veggiechicken View Post

I'd bury it too as it might be whiffy and attract flies.

I've just done it and it is rancid. I have had to chop it and bury it to spare my nose, but the good news is that it's done one complete side of the polytunnel and the resulting brew in the butt is brown and beautiful. Should I leave it in the butt or bottle it in milk containers like I do with comfrey feed? I guess I'm asking is it fine to leave it sitting there or will it go off?

**VirginVegGrower** · 17-09-2012, 08:36 PM

Originally posted by Two_Sheds View Post

I've been chopping up all weeds (non-seeding) and finished foliage straight onto my beds this year ~ it's improved the soil so quickly, it's brilliant. Much quicker than composting

You could also get some quick-growing green manures in: something like buckwheat or mustard

I've sown green manures on the lotty but didn't think of sowing them in the poly (duh). We have a tonne of nettles along the wood, could I strim those and chop them in? It really is very poor top soil still.

**veggiechicken** · 17-09-2012, 08:39 PM

Originally posted by VirginVegGrower View Post

I've just done it and it is rancid. I have had to chop it and bury it to spare my nose, but the good news is that it's done one complete side of the polytunnel and the resulting brew in the butt is brown and beautiful. Should I leave it in the butt or bottle it in milk containers like I do with comfrey feed? I guess I'm asking is it fine to leave it sitting there or will it go off?

You are such a fast worker VVG

No idea how long the liquid would keep though, sorry!

**solway cropper** · 17-09-2012, 10:48 PM

Liquid seaweed feed has many components, some of which will keep and others won't. The plant nutrients are in molecular form and can't really go anywhere but there is much more in it than that. It is very rich in beneficial bacteria which would presumably die if just left over winter. Then there are the alginates and other complex chemicals which may well degrade. I tend to use the liquid feed during the growing season and then compost the seaweed along with everything else for use as a spring mulch. Dried seaweed is amazing stuff. It can be ground down almost to a powder once it becomes brittle and applied as a top dressing or added to potting mix where it serves a similar purpose to expensive water-retaining gels. I would advise using a face mask if you are grinding it as the dust probably isn't too healthy!

**redser** · 17-09-2012, 11:10 PM

The book I have mentions to keep the beds a bit damp over the winter to encourage worm activity, even if there's nothing growing in them. Not so much that you would wash nutrients through the soil, just not bone dry or they'll go deep or move out. They'll help break down the seaweed etc.

**VirginVegGrower** · 17-09-2012, 11:47 PM

Originally posted by veggiechicken View Post

You are such a fast worker VVG

No idea how long the liquid would keep though, sorry!

Are we still talking about digging in seaweed or something else? I'm fast on digging, yes...not so, other stuff, cheeky!

**VirginVegGrower** · 17-09-2012, 11:49 PM

Originally posted by solway cropper View Post

Liquid seaweed feed has many components, some of which will keep and others won't. The plant nutrients are in molecular form and can't really go anywhere but there is much more in it than that. It is very rich in beneficial bacteria which would presumably die if just left over winter. Then there are the alginates and other complex chemicals which may well degrade. I tend to use the liquid feed during the growing season and then compost the seaweed along with everything else for use as a spring mulch. Dried seaweed is amazing stuff. It can be ground down almost to a powder once it becomes brittle and applied as a top dressing or added to potting mix where it serves a similar purpose to expensive water-retaining gels. I would advise using a face mask if you are grinding it as the dust probably isn't too healthy!

Originally posted by redser View Post

The book I have mentions to keep the beds a bit damp over the winter to encourage worm activity, even if there's nothing growing in them. Not so much that you would wash nutrients through the soil, just not bone dry or they'll go deep or move out. They'll help break down the seaweed etc.

I was thinking of drenching everywhere with liquid seaweed, watered down of course - lotty, garden and plot. It's supposed to be a good cleanser, but I'd like to keep some for the next growing season. It must keep to some degree surely?

**veggiechicken** · 17-09-2012, 11:51 PM

Why seaweed of course

How could you think I meant anything else

I wonder if you could freeze some of it? Just to preserve it until the spring......

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Never done this before - seaweed help required

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